-houghton



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. E. HOUGHTON.

NAIL MACHINE.

No. 483,720. Patented Oct. 4, 1892.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. E. HOUGHTON.

NAIL MACHINE.

No. 483,720. Patelited Oct. 4, 1892. 2 V11.

UNITED STATES Y PATE r OFFIC CHARLES E. l-IOUGI-ITON, or NORTHUMBERLAND, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HORACE RUFUS JOHNSON, or SAME PLAoE.

NAIL-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,720, dated October 4, 1892.

Apnlication filed March 1, 1892. Serial No. 423,403. (No model) To all whom it may concern.-

siding in Northumberland, in the county of Northumberland, in the State of Iennsylva nia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nail-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in means or mechanism for cutting or making pointed nails from a common rolled plate.

My present invention is fully described hereinbelow, and the particulars thereof distinctly pointed out in the claims at the latter portion of this specification, as prescribed by the rules and intended by the statute.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a plan view of a nail-machine having my invention applied thereto, the cutting-jaw and lever being removed the better to illustrate the remaining parts. Fig. II is an inner face view in elevation of the bed or chamber for holding the bed-dies and bed-knife, showing the steel face-piece and liner projecting above the floor of the die and knife bed. Fig. III is a plan view of the die and knife bed, showing the dovetail groove or recess to take the steel face-piece and liner. Fig. IV is a perspective of the point-cutting bed-die. Fig. V is a View of the back piece for the point-cutting bed'die and liner for the bed-gripping die, the adjustable plug being shown arranged in the back piece. Fig. VI is a perspective of steel face-piece with the projecting part constituting the liner between the bed dies. Fig. VII is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line VII VII of Fig. I. Fig. VIII is a transverse section on the line VIII VIII of Fig. 1, showing the arrangement of the spring for preventing theshaft at the front and under the bed from dead-points longitudinally; and Fig. IX is a detail of the lever for moving the shaft with the die-standard holding the moving point-cutting die longitudinally.

A designates the bed of the machine; B, the driving-shaft, mounted in bearings 1 2 in posts or standards 3 at the rear of the bed or frame:

0 is the gripping-lever, fulcrumed on the usual conical bearings taking in sockets in the ends of the arms of the lever, as shown in Fig. I of the drawings, and running on a cam on the driving-shaft. The gripping-lever has formed on it a die-seat, as usual, wherein is clamped the moving gripping-die 4.

D is the heading-lever, of the usual construction, having the usual loose connectingpin 5, and provided with a header 6, as shown in Figs. VII and VIII of the drawings.

E is the cutting-jaw carrying the moving knife and provided with a gage and having its lever 6 and pitman 7 (shown principally in dotted lines in Fig. VII) connected to the crank-head 8 on the driving-shaft. These parts constitute the elements making up the parts of a nail-machine, and form no part of the improvements entering into my present invention, except as they may be improved in certain parts and construction, as will be specified in the description of the several im provements and as they may make legitimate elements of combinations.

My first improvement relates to the chambered bed (designated by F) for containing the respective bed-dies, the point-cutting beddie, and the respective pieces associated therewith. In the common nail-machine the floor of this chamber is protected at the front or mouth by a steel face-piece secured against the inner face of the frame at this part and arranged with its upper edge or end on a level with the. floor of the chamber.

My improved face-piece a is shown in Fig. VI of the drawings, wherein the body 9 is substantially that of the old form of plate, being formed to fit in a vertically-arranged dovetail groove 10 in the bed, (see Figs. II and III,) and thus held from displacement. I extend this body-piece and form it rectangular, as seen at 11, the part 11 projecting above the floor of the chamber as high as the thickness of the dies, as seen in Figs. Iand II, constituting a bearing on which the bed-knife rests in part, and also to serve as a liner to hold the respective bed-dies in relative position at that part, and also as an abutment for the spring which returns the point-cutting bed-die to normal position. In the chamber F is a back piece 12. (Shown in detail in Fig. V of the drawings.) This back piece is formed with a projection 13 at the end on one side, as shown, and has a hole 14: through the body, in which is detachably and adjustably fitted a plug 15, which when the back piece is in the chamber sets with one end against the end of the point-cutting bed-die, while the other is engaged by the endof an adj usting-screw 16, let through the front wall of the chamber, as seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings, whereby the point-cutting bed-die may be adjusted endwise and at the same time have a base to permit a lateral play on.

G designates the point-cuttin g bed-die, consisting of' the die-body formed with a projecting piece or arm 17 at its base, extending laterally at right angles to the stem or body of the die. The extension 17 of the die lies in alignment with the'front of the back piece F and the die at the angle rests on the end of the plug 15, and between the extension 17 and the face-piece a is thus formed a recess 18, in which is arranged a spring 19, the force of which returns the point-cutting bed-die to normal position after the gripping end has moved outward when making the point on the nail. This point-cutting die G sets with the outer corner or angle in the angle of the back piece and against the end of the plug 15, as shown, and is given room in its seat to have a limited rocking or swinging lateral play therein on a horizontal plain, the outward movement being limited through the agency of the adj usting-screw 20, let through the side wall of the chamber, andin its restoration to normal position lodges against the face-plate a, as indicated in Fig. I of the drawings. When the die G is in gripping contact with the point-cutting moving die, it is carried outward by the movement of the pointcutting moving die, and thus performs the function requisite to make the point on the nail.

My second improvement refers to the construction of the mechanism for operating the point-cutting moving die andimparting thereto the requisite lateral movement. In the machine to which this improvement pertains the point-cutting moving die has no lateral movement, but can only be positively adjusted and then remain relatively stationary.

My invention gives to the shaft carrying the die support or standard alateral outward movement at the time the pointcutting dies are making the point on the nail, thus forming the point by a pinching shearing movement.

I now proceed to describe the mechanism by which this is effected: A rock-shaft 11 is mounted in bearings 21 22, formed in the frame of the machine, and is arranged across the machine between the body of the grippring-lever and the front portion of the ma chine, as seen in Fig. V111. In one bf the sockets constituting the bearings for the rockshaft the shaft stops short of the outer end of the bearing, and in the space between the end of the shaft and the end of the bearing is interposed a strong spring 23, (see Fig. V111,) the force or function of which is to push the shaft endwise and return it to normal position when moved endwise, and also to overcome the dead-point when the shaft is reciprocated. From this shaft rises stand ard 24, constituting the support for the moving point-cutting die. This die-support is integral with the shaft and has formed on the upper face a die-seat, in which is seated the moving point-cutting die 25, held in place by a clamp or keeper 26. The upper part of this die-support is extended rearward, forming an arm 27, terminatin gin aknuckle, which takes in a bar 28, having a socket in the outer end, in which an adjusting screw 29 engages. This adj usting-screw is projected through an arm 30, projected from a rock-shaft 3l,*mountedin bearings 3233 in'the frame of the machine, as best seen in Figs. 1 and VII of the drawings. This arm 30 has its upperend provided with an antifriction-roller 34, bearing on a cam 35 on the driving-shaft of the machine, as seen in Fig. VII of the drawings. This particular means for operating the diesupport forms no part of my invention. This mechanism, it will be readily perceived, has the function of reciprocating the point-cutting moving die, which is seated in the upper faceofthedie-support,butprovidesno means j for giving the point -cutting die a lateral movement necessary to efiect the certainty of making the point and at the same time cleaning it.

To give the point-cutting movingdie a lat eral movement when in contact with the nail, a lever 1 is fulcrumed at 36, (see Figs. VII and V111,) to move on a horizontal plane. One end of this lever engages in a notch or seat 37 in the longitudinally-movable rock-shaft 11,

and the other end is forked, as at 38, which engages with a lug 39 on the lower and rear part of the heading-lever D, as seen in Figs. VII and VIII of the drawings. To return the die mechanism to its backward position and to prevent backlash, I attach one end of a spring 40 to the arm 27 and secure the other end to the rear cross-piece of the bed. This arrangement of the returning-spring gives the greatest leverage possible, and the required 'movementris attained with greaterpower, certainty, and efficacy than when the spring is ar ranged in any other position. The leverI gives a positive endwise reciprocation to the shaft 11 and thus insures the regular return of the die and its support to proper position in alignment with its counterpart in the bed chamber of the machine. The junction of the pointcutting dies on the nail-point is of such force that when so engaged in gripping the point and the endwise movement of the shaft and standardis effected the bed point-cutting die is given a corresponding lateral and shearing movement and the point out, made, and cleaned.

The operation is as follows: After the nail is severed from the plate and has been pushed down the dies grip it. While so gripped the heading-lever raises and brings up the header to make the head. This same movement of the heading lever also causes the lug 39 on the lower rear end of the heading-lever to move the end of the lever I, engaged by it, inward and to move the other end of that lever outward, which also moves the shaft H longitudinally, carrying the die-standard and the moving point-cutting die in the same direction, which movement, being effected while the dies are in contact and gripping the nail, shears off the point and leaves it clean and perfect. After this is accomplished the moving die is drawn back by the spring and the lever returns the die-standard to normal position.

I have not illustrated a nipper-bar or any nail clearing or discharging means, as these may be made of any proper well-known construction.

Having thus described my improvements, so as to clearly distinguish them from other machines in the art, and havingstated the mode of operation or principle, as required by the statute,I now proceed to distinctly claim and particularly point out the parts and combinations I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, as follows: i

1. The combination, with the bed die and knife-chamber of a nail-machine, of a facepiece a, secured to the vertical inner face of the machine-frame and having its upper portion extending above the floor of the die and knife-chamber, for the purposes specified.

2. The combination, with the bed-die and knife-chamber, having a face-piece a extending above the floor of the said chamber, of the gripping-die, the back piece formed with a hole through it, a movable plug in the hole, an adjusting-screw through the end wall of the chamber, a point-cutting die formed with a lateral projection at its base and arranged to rock sidewise in its seat on the inner end of the movable plug, and a spring arranged between the projecting face-piece and the lateral projection of the point-cutting bed-die, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a machine for pointing out nails, the combination of a rock-shaft mounted in bearings across the frame of the machine and having an endwise play in its bearings and formed with a standard havinga die-seat in its upper end, means connected to the driving-shaft to reciprocate the die-seat, and a lever to reciprocate the rock-shaft in the direction of its length, as specified.

4. In a machine for pointing cut nails, the combination of the rock-shaft H, arranged in bearings to have an endwise movement therein and having a die-support projected therefrom, a lever fulcrumed on the machine with one end engaging the rockshaft, and the heading-lever arranged to engage and move the lever, whereby the shaft is reciprocated endwise.

5. The combination, in a machine for pointin g cut nails, of a rock-shaft carrying a standard formed with a dieseat, a die in the seat, means to move the die-seat horizontally, and the heading-lever formed with a lug to engage and move the lever laterally.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two attesting Witnesses.

CHARLES E. HOUGI'ITON.

Witnesses:

REUBEN JOHNSON, J. H. ROOKEFELLER. 

